There is an image recording apparatus capable of performing a double-sided printing for recording an image on both sides of a recording sheet. The image recording apparatus of this type feeds a recording sheet from a sheet feeding tray and conveys the fed sheet along a conveying path formed in the U-shape. A recording unit is disposed along the conveying path, and the recording unit records an image on either side (either a front side or a rear side) of the recording sheet being conveyed. When an image is to be recorded on only one side, the recording sheet on which an image has been recorded is sent toward downstream side of the conveying path and then discharged. On the other hand, when images are to be recorded on both sides, the recording sheet of which an image has been recorded on one side is temporarily returned to an inversion guide path and is then again sent upstream side (a position upstream of the recording unit) of the conveying path. The recording unit records an image on the other side (any of the front side and the rear side) of the inverted recording sheet, and the recorded sheet is discharged later. This kind of the image recording apparatus is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2004-224057.
Incidentally, in the above image recording apparatus, a flap is disposed at a branch point between a conveying path and an inversion path, and a recording sheet is sent downstream along the conveying path or returned to the inversion path by means of pivotal movement of the flap. When the recording sheet is to be returned to the inversion path, the flap closes an upstream portion of the conveying path, thereby forming a guide plate for guiding the recording sheet to the inversion path. As a result of a pair of discharge rollers for discharging the recording sheet being rearwardly rotated, an end of the recording sheet is pressed against the flap, to thus enter the inversion path while being elastically bent.
However, when the recording sheet is pressed against the flap so as to become elastically deformed, a part of drive force developing from the pair of discharge rollers is expended by elastic deformation of the recording sheet, so that the force for conveying a sheet decreases.
When drive force of the pair of discharge rollers is set to a larger value in order to address such a circumstance, a motor for driving the pair of drive rollers, or the like, becomes bulky, which increases in the overall size of the image recording apparatus.
In addition, a portion of the recording sheet located downstream of the discharge rollers is oriented in a direction parallel to the inversion path due to stiffness of the recording sheet, and hence wrapping of the recording sheet around the discharge rollers becomes weak. As mentioned above, when wrapping becomes weak, conveyance of the recording sheet performed by the discharge rollers may become unstable.